The results of the PUP’s Standard Bearer Convention, held on Sunday, April 10 has caused a war of words between supporters of the now politically deceased Joe Coye and supporters of the political rookie, Anthony Mahler. This war of words has even gone viral. One thing’s for sure, that is that when the PUP rumble, it’s for the whole world to see.
While everyone in Caribbean Shores knew that the political fate of Joe Coye had been sealed for a long time now, what some voters and supporters witnessed at the convention on Sunday left them in awe. Now, I find it quite hilarious that the PUP’s “open” buying of votes would come as a surprise to PUPs or any other Belizean for that matter. Indeed, buying votes has long been the PUP’s modus operandi. As far as the PUP is concerned, every voter is buyable so long as the price is right. And on Sunday, it was clear that the price was very right for the 762 persons who voted for Mahler compared to the 373 who voted for Coye. Clearly, Coye couldn’t match Mahler’s war chest. As for the third and other defeated candidate, Austin Waight, his measly 63 votes say it all.
I believe what really stunned some at the convention was the physical revelation that Mahler’s bankroller was none other than Godfrey Smith, the very man who has publicly scathed Mahler’s Party Leader, John Briceno. I say physical revelation because it wasn’t like Godfrey was commanding the operation from afar. Instead and much to the shock of many, the Ashcroft emissary was clothed in PUP Blue and greeting the voters of Caribbean Shores while his bagman, Ashton Longsworth doled out the cash. Word is that some voters received as much as $500.00 in return for their vote for Mahler. After all, isn’t that what they call the PUP Way?
I’m sure Coye was fully aware that John Briceno and his Executive were all supporting Mahler against him. What I don’t think he was aware of and what must surely have him pissed is to have found out that his opponent was being financed by his former Cabinet colleague and fellow G-7 ally.
There are lessons to be learned from the PUP’s convention in Caribbean Shores, firstly by all Belizeans and secondly by PUP Leader, John Briceno.
For all Belizeans, we must all realize that Godfrey Smith, like his master, Lord Ashcroft, is an enemy of the state. And this applies to all those like Anthony Mahler and others who have aligned themselves with the Ashcroft-Smith alliance. The people of Caribbean Shores especially need to realize that their choice of Mahler is simply another puppet that will do as the puppet master wishes. Sunday’s convention didn’t prove that Anthony Mahler is electable. Rather, it simply proved what has long been proven, that is that for the PUP, everyone is buyable.
It’ll be interesting to see how Briceno reacts to the revelation that Mahler was playing him all along. It is so ironic that Briceno chose to support the very man who played Joe Coye only for him, Briceno to now be played by Mahler. There’s never a dull moment in the PUP.
For John Briceno, he needs to realize that the plot to remove him as PUP Leader thickened on Sunday, April 10. Sunday’s convention revealed clearly that the chief plotter is Godfrey Smith. In his now infamous piece entitled “Basta Briceno”, Smith wrote and I quote, “It shouldn’t take much more to raise a mutiny against Briceño’s leadership”. Though Smith didn’t reveal that he would be the one to raise the mutiny, he did provide a hint in the words immediately following in which he said, “if one is not already in the making”. Well, Sunday, April 10 revealed just that. The cunning fox he is, Smith led Briceno and his allies to believe that Briceno’s “Christian Fletcher” had white hair, obviously making reference to Briceno’s predecessor, Said Musa. Well, as intellectually challenged as Briceno is, I would want to think that there’s some amount of wisdom in him to figure out that his “Christian Fletcher” is broad shouldered and has black hair.
